FAQ

Are parenting sessions for the whole family? Do you see our kids also?

Our sessions are for grown-ups only, and I don’t see young children. Most of the time parents find that our work together is enough to make significant shifts in how things feel at home. Sometimes we might decide that it would be helpful to schedule an observation….either at school or at home….to gather more information. If during our work together I sense that your child could use some extra support, I’ll refer you to one of my colleagues that specializes in working with children. One exception is that I do sometimes work with adolescents if the parents and I decide that would be helpful.

How many sessions does it take to make a difference?

For a typical parent coaching arrangement, it works best if we have 4-5 sessions together to establish a solid foundation and to do some “real world” practice and fine-tuning. After that, we might move to less frequent “check-ups” or on an as-needed basis. If we decide to move more deeply into couples or individual work, you can expect our work to take longer as we really explore the deeper pieces of what’s going on.

You mention “couples work” – do you see couples who aren’t parents?

Yes, I do!  I work with couples with no children, or those that do have children but aren’t feeling worried about the parenting piece of their lives.  I see couples at all points on their journey – those who are newly dating, those who’ve been married many years, or those couples who’ve recently separated or divorced and are doing the hard work of becoming co-parents.  Learn more about my couples work here.

You’re trained as a “therapist,” but call yourself a “coach” – why?

I choose to utilize a coaching model in my practice (versus a therapeutic model). This means that I use more direct guidance than a traditional therapist might. The way I conceptualize it is that my own thoughts, feelings, and life experiences are more “in the room” than a traditional therapy model calls for. You’ll notice that I’ll openly share what my observations are, offer direct suggestions and ideas, give homework, point out patterns, and share my own feelings and experiences as a mom and wife.

Having used both a therapeutic and coaching model before, I’ve found that this “in the room” approach is more efficient. We develop a rich and connected working relationship and get to more “aha!” moments all within significantly fewer sessions than with traditional therapy.

My clients report that they feel understood, honored, and deeply cared for by me…. and very challenged. I hold all of us to be our best selves. So we must keep pushing ourselves to do the hard stuff – all with loads of compassion for all the pain and fear that’s in the way.